My husband asked me a question recently and it got me thinking about those little portable data storage units and how to care for them. He wanted to know the best way to care for your thumb drive.

The following tips will help you care for and extend the life of your thumb drive. By the way, since thumb drives are basically flash memory with a USB port, many of the suggestions here also apply to caring for your camera's flash memory modules.

Carrying thumb drives
I'm not sure if this happens everywhere, but here in Jamaica I've seen more than a few persons carrying their flash drives on their key rings. This is a bad idea, especially if the flash drive is inserted into the computer still so attached. Having heavy objects attached to thumb drives can place unnecessary stress on the connector.

Store thumb drive properly
Ideally thumb drives should always be stored with their covers and caps on. As sturdy as these devices are, lint, dust, and other such particles can damage your thumb drive. Keeping the covers on minimize against this happening and lengthens the life of your thumb drive.

Yes, the price of regular thumb drives is going down, but you may just find that you cannot access information stored on one because of improper handling. Good care can also lengthen the life of your computer because the particles and dust on the drive's connectors will eventually find their way into your PC.

Some thumb drives use memory cards; these too should be properly stored. When storing memory cards, it's best to place them in their original cases when not in use.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but because of their size, color and attractive designs it is wise to store thumb drives in a safe place. For one, children and pets will be more than willing to use them as toys. In addition, they can be easily misplaced, so have a set place that you store them when not in use and you take less of a chance that you'll lose them.

You may not like the look of carrying them on a cord around your neck, but nothing is better to prevent loss when not at home.

Always remove your thumb drive from your computer correctly
Microsoft recommends that thumb drives be removed from your PC or laptop in the correct manner. The correct way to unplug a thumb drive is to stop the device, that is, ensure that it is not in use. Once you have closed any files you have open on your thumb drive, you can stop the device easily by any of these methods. The approach you take will be based somewhat on preference and somewhat on the version of the operating system you have installed.